THE Government has announced that it hopes to launch a new system of marking TSE resistance in sheep under the National Scrapie Plan in time for the start of the tupping season next July.

THE Government has announced that it hopes to launch a new system of marking TSE resistance in sheep under the National Scrapie Plan in time for the start of the tupping season next July.

EU rules require a minimum of two levels of recognition, but UK agricultural departments say this would not sufficiently represent the stratified UK sheep industry and would take little account of the variations in the levels of resistant genotype frequencies by breed or by sector.

It would therefore exclude a significant proportion of sheep flocks, so extra categories are being proposed, and the newframework will be open to all flocks which possess National Scrapie Plan registered rams.

The framework will benefit sheep farmers by encouraging them to reduce and remove the most TSE susceptible rams from their flocks.

A consultation paper is available from Jean Farrell at Defra on 020 7904 8102.

It is also available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/current.htm